Day: October 12, 2019

Los Angeles: Music icon Jennifer Lopez and retired baseball star Alex Rodriguez are engaged after two years of dating. The stars, who often document their relationship milestones on social media, took to Instagram recently to share the news, reports foxnews.com. “She said yes,” Rodriguez said in a post showing JLo’s hand with a huge engagement ring. The actress and singer shared the same post. The pair officially celebrated their two-year anniversary on February 4, and Rodriguez shared a heartfelt message on the occasion. Also Read – Hilarie Burton, Jeffery Dean Morgan tie the knot”Only 730 days which have flown by, but it feels like we have been together forever. We are meant to be, and how much you mean to me cannot be put into words,” Rodriguez wrote at the time. The engagement comes just a day after Rodriguez posted a message on his Instagram story about soulmates. “A soulmate isn’t someone who completes you. No, a soulmate is someone who inspires you to complete yourself. A soulmate is someone who loves you with so much conviction, and so much heart, that it is nearly impossible to doubt just how capable you are of becoming exactly who you have always wanted to be,” the message read. Lopez and Rodriguez first met at Shea Stadium in Queens back in 2005 when she stopped to shake the athlete’s hand before the first pitch.read more

Srinagar: The mastermind of the February 14 Pulwama terror attack, which claimed the lives of 40 CRPF personnel, has been killed in an encounter in south Kashmir’s Tral area, officials said Monday.Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorist Mudasir Ahmed Khan was one of the two militants killed in the encounter in Tral’s Pinglish area that started Sunday evening and went on till the early hours of Monday, they said. The body of the second militant has not been identified yet, said the officials, who had earlier claimed he was Sajjad Bhat, a JeM operative whose car was used in the Pulwama attack. Also Read – Squadrons which participated in Balakot air strike awarded citations on IAF DayBhat’s brother refused to take the body, saying it was charred beyond recognition. Khan’s body has been taken by his family members, the officials said. Khan was the “main conspirator” of the attack on the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) convoy in Pulwama, Lt General Kanwal Jeet Singh Dhillon, General Officer Commanding, XV Corps, said at a hurriedly called joint press conference by the Army, state police and the paramilitary force. CRPF Inspector General (Operations) in Jammu and Kashmir, Zulfiqar Hasan, said, “Mudasir Ahmed Khan alias ‘Mohd Bhai’ was among the two militants killed in the encounter in Tral’s Pinglish area in Pulwama district.” Also Read – SC declines Oil Min request to stay sharing of documents on Reliance penaltyInspector General of Police, Kashmir Range, Swayam Prakash Pani, said the identity of the second militant has not been ascertained yet. “We know that his code was ‘Khalid’. We are trying to find his actual identity,” he said, adding that he is believed to be a Pakistani. The killing of Khan is a significant dent to the JeM, he said. Pani said some material was found from their hideout and it will be shared with the National Investigation Agency (NIA) probing the Pulwama attack. Lt General Dhillon said ever since the February attack, 18 militants have been killed in various actions by security forces.read more

New Delhi: Lenders, led by the SBI, are trying to revive debt-laden Jet Airways by change in management as they feel collapse of the airline will not be good for consumers and competition, a source said after the SBI chief met Finance Minister Arun Jaitley Wednesday. With Jet flying just about a third of its fleet, defaulting on interest payments and delaying salaries to pilot, State Bank of India Chairman Rajnish Kumar along with Aviation Secretary Pradip Singh Kharola and Principal Secretary to Prime Minister Nripendra Misra met Jaitley Wednesday afternoon. Also Read – Thermal coal import may surpass 200 MT this fiscalKumar said the meeting was to apprise the government, which is an important stakeholder, about the happenings in what was once India’s second-biggest airline, and not to discuss a bailout package. He, however, emphatically stated that it was in the interest of the lenders and consumers to keep Jet Airways flying, and dragging the debt-ridden firm under bankruptcy proceedings is the last option. Jet Airways has a debt of over Rs 8,200 crore and needs to make repayments of up to Rs 1,700 crore by the end of March. In case the airline collapses, 23,000 jobs would be at stake. Also Read – Food grain output seen at 140.57 mt in current fiscal on monsoon boostThough Kumar refused to share details of the lenders’ resolution plan, the source said that the lenders have proposed to change the management of the beleaguered air carrier as they feel it is not possible to run the company with present management. Jet Airways is headed by Naresh Goyal, who currently holds 51 per cent stake. Abu Dhabi based Etihad Airways has 24 per cent. There were media reports that Etihad has approached the SBI to purchase its 24 per cent stake in the airline. On getting a new player in Jet Airways, Kumar said, “No possibility is ruled out”. “The dialogue with Etihad is on. It is not that they have conclusively decided that they will go out. But there are certain conditions which they want to be fulfilled and it is nothing but that the airline should be professionally managed and without any interference,” he said. Lenders of Jet Airways have been working on a resolution plan for last five months and it is almost ready, Kumar said, adding “We will make every effort to keep Jet Airways flying and in no manner it is a bailout for any individual or any promoter whatsoever”. The SBI chief said that resolution of a service industry, like airline, is nearly impossible under Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code (IBC) and is the last option.read more

With the election fever picking up, the blame game is increasing with every passing day. Issues concerning the people are not being highlighted as they should have been. The ruling party has very cleverly brought the rhetoric against Pakistan as a core issue. The speeches by the first rank leadership are by and large ignoring the issues of health and education. Even though the points related to healthcare have been mentioned in the manifestos of the various parties but until and unless they are emphasised by the leadership in their public discourses time and again, these do not become part of people’s mind. A critical analysis of the manifesto of two major parties shows some differences in the approach. Also Read – A special kind of bondThe manifesto of BJP is centered around eulogising the Ayushman Bharat which is said to cover 50 crore people for in-patient care only. It nowhere talks of how to get the rest 80 crore people in the scheme in the future. Moreover, it does not give any proposal of bringing the people seeking outpatient care only in the scheme. Thus it sans any step towards universal healthcare. It talks of opening more medical colleges but does not give any information on whether they will be in the public sector or the private sector. This is important because the number of medical colleges opened in the last few years is more in the private sector. These colleges are charging exorbitant tuition fee which makes them out of reach of even the middle-class families. The manifesto also does not talk about increasing public spending on healthcare which is essential for ensuring quality healthcare to the common citizens. Also Read – Insider threat managementThe manifesto of Congress party recognises the healthcare as a right of every citizen. It promises to increase the public spending from present 1.1 to 3 per cent of the GDP by the year 2023-24 with step by step increase in every budget. What is needed is an immediate increase to 2.5 per cent of the GDP to be raised to 6 per cent in the next five years. The manifesto promises to enact Right to Healthcare Act ‘that will guarantee to every citizen the right to healthcare services, including free diagnostics, out-patient care, medicines and hospitalisation through a network of public hospitals and enlisted private hospitals’. That the manifesto recognises insurance-based model not a preferred model to provide healthcare is a welcome note. It promises to implement free public hospital model to provide universal healthcare. Increasing the number of doctors by establishing more medical colleges, providing scholarship and loans to medical students. The manifesto of the left parties highlights the right to free health as a fundamental right. Increase in public health spending to 6 per cent of the GDP, end to commercialisation of medical education. Strengthening of public health facilities, fixing the drug prices based on their cost of production and enact patent laws favourable to our country. However, these are documents which are important in a way that the governments to come can be questioned on their performance based on the promises made in the manifesto. But what is lacking is a special forceful emphasis in public speeches by political leaders. This reflects a lack of sensitivity to health issues to the required level even though it is admitted that nearly 6 per cent of the population is pushed below the poverty line because of catastrophic out-of-pocket expenditure on health. There are also reports that financial stress as a result of out-of-pocket healthcare expenditure is an important cause of suicide among farmers. It is time for the public to act and force a pro-people healthcare discourse. (Dr. Arun Mitra is Vice President, Indian Doctors for Peace and Development. The views expressed are strictly personal)read more

Bhopal: The Election Commission (EC) is going to issue a notice to Malegaon blast accused and BJP candidate from Bhopal Pragya Singh Thakur over her remarks against police officer Hemant Karkare, who was killed in the 26/11 terror attack, an officer said Saturday.Addressing BJP workers in Bhopal on Thursday night, Thakur had claimed that Karkare died during the attacks as she “cursed” him for torturing her. However, after her remarks kicked up a row, she tendered an apology on Friday. “We took suo motu cognisance of the statement and sought a report from the assistant returning officer (ARO) on the matter. We got the report this morning and we are going to issue notices, which are returnable within 24 hours, to the organiser of the programme and the person who made the statement,” District Election Officer and Bhopal Collector Sudam Khade said. “We are going to send the ARO report to the EC,” he said. Khade said that the organiser of the event had been given permission on certain conditions as the model code of conduct was in force. According to another EC official, as per the conditions set before giving permission to the event, use of objectionable language to defame a particular person had been prohibited. Out on bail, Thakur (48) has been discharged by a court on charges under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) in the 2008 case, but is still facing trial under other criminal provisions, including the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. The BJP on Wednesday fielded her from the Bhopal seat, where she is set to have a direct contest with Congress heavyweight and former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Digvijay Singh. Her statement against Karkare raised a political storm Friday with opposition parties attacking the BJP and the Congress demanding an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.read more

Mumbai: Dinesh Karthik’s experience and composure in pressure situations helped him pip young sensation Rishabh Pant to the second wicketkeeper’s spot in India’s World Cup squad, captain Virat Kohli has said. With Mahendra Singh Dhoni as the undisputed first-choice wicketkeeper of the side, the selectors preferred Karthik, 33, in their 15-man squad over Pant, who is known for his swashbuckling batting. Teams can change players until May 23 and several former players believe India will miss the 21-year-old in the showpiece which gets underway on May 30. “In pressure situations, he’s shown composure,” Kohli said to a newspaper about Karthik. “It was something that everybody on board was convinced about. He has the experience. If, god forbid, something happens to MS (Dhoni), Karthik can be immensely valuable behind the wickets. As a finisher, he’s done well. “So, it was the overall exposure to a tournament of this magnitude that was taken into primary consideration.” Karthik made his one-day international debut in 2004 and has played 91 matches for India in the format, compared with left-handed batsman Pant who has played just five after making his 50-over debut last October. Karthik, who has also played 26 test matches for India, has the ability to bat anywhere in the batting order which makes him a limited-overs asset. “We can very well imagine there’s more than an opinion in place that some capable guys have missed out,” India coach Ravi Shastri added. “Heart goes out to them. “Picking 15 from an immensely talented pool is never easy. I’d say to these guys: Keep going the way you have. Be prepared, in case there’s an unforeseen requirement that pops up.” Unlike the India of the past, the 1983 and 2011 winners also boast a very potent pace attack, led by top-ranked ODI bowler Jasprit Bumrah. The death-overs specialist will be aided by Mohammed Shami and Bhuvneshwar Kumar, with both known for their ability to swing the ball both ways — something which should be handy in conditions in England. “The one common factor binding these guys is confidence,” Kohli said. “They all believe that they can be the best. “There’s no set rule for anything — like Indian spinners have to be the best in the world, the best batsmen or whatever. The thing is, if you believe it, you can achieve it.” India begin their bid for a third World Cup title against South Africa in Southampton on June 5.read more

Madrid – Hundreds of people took part last weekend in Seville (south of Spain) in two sit-ins to call for releasing young Sahrawi women who were kidnapped and held against their will in the camps of Tindouf on the Algerian territory.During two days, members of Spanish adoptive families of these Sahrawi women and other people staged a sit-in in front of the headquarters of the town council of the Andalusian capital to denounce the situation of these young women who lived long years with these families in Spain.According to Spanish news agency EFE, a document demanding the release of these women was handed out during the sit-in and signed by 1,200 people, in addition to 1,500 signatures which was collected earlier. The document called also on the Spanish authorities to take the necessary measures in this regard and enable the victims to freely practice their right of returning to Spain.The families of Darya Embarek Selma, Najiba Mohamed Belkacem and Koria Badbad Hafed also lodged a complaint with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) against Algeria and the polisario.read more

Rabat – The new incarnation of US President Donald Trump’s travel ban is expected to roll out in a matter of days. The Trump administration is promising a more streamlined version which will be far more difficult to challenge.And Then There Were SixAhead of his Congressional address Tuesday night, Trump had hinted at the possibility that Iraq would be removed from the Trump 7. According to a report in the New Arab, this is now being confirmed by four US officials who agreed to confirm the detail under guarantee of anonymity. No one has been granted permission to discuss the new ban order before it’s made public. The four are confirming that Trump has bowed to increased pressure from the Pentagon and the Sate Department. Each felt strongly Iraq should be removed from the list owing to its considerable contribution in the fight against ISIS.Why The Original Ban FailedAccording to Reuters, the issue with the original order which found itself blocked by a lower court, was that it could provide no concrete examples of it’s claims that immigrants from the seven banned, predominantly Muslim countries posed a direct threat to US security. In other words, they could not prove standing. On the other hand, challengers to the ban, such as the State of Washington, were able to successfully argue their case that the ban was having very real social and economic consequences for both individuals and businesses.What’s in StoreMost legal experts agree that no matter what the language of the new order is, it will not deter challenges to it’s legality. The Trump administration has been talking about the possibility of excluding people who hold a legal visa or green card but this has not been confirmed. The initial order caused chaos at airports because people who were in possession of legal permits to live and work within the United States were being blocked from re-entering the country.read more

Rabat – Four days after its release, YouTube has deleted the music video “Malhama: Abtal Al Watan” (A Saga: Heroes of the Nation) dedicated to Morocco 2026 because of a copyright claim by producer and director Hatim Naji.The video, intended to hype up excitement for Morocco’s bid to host the 2026 World Cup, was released Friday and deleted Tuesday. Naji told Moroccan news outlet Hespress that he was obliged to report the music video for including scenes that he filmed himself.The director added that he “did not receive any message from the team to ask for permission and negotiate the images used to show the city of Casablanca from above.” Both the lyrics and the music video were widely mocked on social media; thousands of Moroccans characterized the music as lacking creativity. The director of the song and Moroccan comedian Said Naciri spared no efforts to defend the song. Naciri labeled people criticizing the song as enemies of success and enemies of the Moroccan state.Naciri said that “these people we call reptiles… it should have been enough for them to hear the word ‘king’ [in the song] it should have been enough that they heard the word nation, and saw a large number of artists. Still, they went and called it garbage. Shame.”Moroccans expressed their anger and dissatisfaction over the video, saying that they had been waiting for something more fun and creative.A Twitter user described the music video as “13 minuts [sic] of pure cancer.”13 minuts of pure cancer ! https://t.co/yvN64mJQXb— Ahmed EB-BANA (@Ahmedebbana) May 28, 2018“I am disappointed but not surprised about the low quality of this Malhama,” said another.Je suis déçu mais pas surpris de la basse qualité de cette Malhama, qui montre malheureusement la médiocrité de certains de nos “artistes” pour ne pas généraliser…Ce n’est certainement pas avec ce genre “d’actions”, que notre dossier sera plus… https://t.co/bMdG1qiLSL— Benmoussa Med Karim (@benmoussakarim1) May 28, 2018Some people have even celebrated the removing of the music video from YouTube.“Thank you Hatim Naji! Thank you YouTube! They have removed the video of the thief Said Naciri,” wrote a Twitter user.Merci Hatim Naji ! Merci Youtube ! Ils ont retiré la vidéo au voleur Saïd Naciri …???? https://t.co/KEIVtGbDN4— 7didane (@7didane) May 30, 2018read more